The Crisis Africa loses 4 elephants to poachers EVERY HOUR, EVERY DAY of the year. It is estimated that less than 300,000 survive today. Africa loses 3 rhinos to poachers EACH DAY; of the 5 species of rhino, less than 25,000 survive today. With so few numbers left, and such a slow rate of reproduction, these two species are rapidly heading for extinction, unless we – ALL OF US – do something to ensure they survive. These remarkable and highly intelligent animals are being cruelly slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, with poachers often hacking off their tusks or horns while they are still alive. The agony these helpless creatures endure, and – especially for elephants – the anguish for their surviving family members, is unimaginable. Elephants have close family bonds and rely on the elders of their group to lead and teach them; when these are killed, the herd is left devastated and shattered, and if babies lose their mother they often will not survive either. The upsurge in the killing spree over the last 8 years has been driven by the demand for ivory and horn in Asian countries – China is the biggest consumer of ivory (70% of the world’s ivory ends up as trinkets for the Chinese middle class), and Vietnam is the main consumer of rhino horn. The money made from the illicit trade in ivory and rhino horn supports terrorist organizations in Africa and fuels civil strife and instability. Wildlife crime is estimated at $20 billion per year. The problem has become a global one, as trans-national criminal networks and heavily armed poaching gangs coordinate the bloody chain – from killing the animals, to smuggling their body parts for export, to selling them in outlets all over the world. Meanwhile the plains and forests of Africa and Asia grow silent and barren, devoid of their once abundant wildlife. It is mistakenly believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that rhino horn has some special medicinal properties. This is a myth – a myth that is driving the rhino to extinction. Rhino horn consists of keratin, a substance which is the same as fingernails – yet this powerless substance is traded for astronomical sums on the black market. Elephant ivory and rhino horn are seen as status symbols in China and other Asian cultures. The newly found wealth among China’s affluent and middle classes is dealing a terminal death blow to elephants and rhinos – more people can now afford to buy it, which means greater demand, which means more killing, which means fewer and fewer elephants and rhinos left on the earth. The extraordinary growth of the affluent and middle class in China (projected to be 280 million and 600 million respectively by 2020) and other Asian countries with greater disposable income is translating into an unprecedented crisis for many species, which are all the victims of illegal wildlife crime that is out of control and raging across the globe. Besides elephants and rhinos, other endangered species such as lions, pangolins, gorillas, tigers, polar bears, and many more also face extinction. These animals are all being exterminated or seeing their habitats destroyed due to an ever-increasing human population – currently 7.2 billion and expected to grow to 11 billion by 2100. The accelerated economic growth in Asia is making the problem much worse. Impact on Wildlife Since the beginning of the 21st century, Africa has benefited from the soaring global demand for its resources. That natural wealth, along with the continent’s ongoing infrastructure boom, has been the key catalyst in driving China’s engagement with the region. China’s growing presence as an investor and leading trading partner is expected to continue reshaping the continent and the global economy for decades to come. However it is an economic benefit that comes at a heavy price, for at the same time African countries are seeing their wildlife and natural environment being diminished and ravaged. This consequence is so severe that some African countries are starting to question whether they can afford such a heavy price, and whether the economic aid provided by Chinese business is worth the destruction of the country’s animals and land. China in Africa All the countries involved in the chain of supply and demand of elephant ivory and rhino horn must take the strongest measures to bring the slaughter to an end – time is running out to save these species. But the whole world – and every individual – can play a part too. The global march for elephants and rhinos on Oct 4th will bring the crisis to the forefront, and ensure that people everywhere – and the media and social media – are aware and informed about what is going on. * All African elephant- and rhino-range countries must implement and enforce strict laws and penalties that are harsh enough to deter poachers and all those involved in wildlife crimes. * All consumer and transit countries must adopt stringent legislation with regards to wildlife crimes; harsher sentences need to be enforced when the poachers and traffickers are found guilty. * All countries – especially China and the USA and other top consumer countries – must adopt outright bans on the ivory trade. * Countries must enact laws to ban the importing of hunting trophies of endangered animals. * WE, THE PEOPLE, must take every opportunity and use all means to advocate and spread the message that elephants and rhinos are being killed every day and we may soon lose them FOREVER. * The South African government must be urged to show increased urgency and political will in tackling the rhino poaching crisis with emphasis on targeting the syndicate heads and applying more stringent laws to prevent bail grants to accused poachers. The Killing Must Stop, The Trade Must Be Banned * Lists of Chinese, Vietnamese, Laos, Mozambique, South African, and Thailand embassies should be sourced around the world and Memorandums of Demand should be handed over on the day of the march at all these embassies. (See embassy-finder). * If you are planning to protest at the Chinese Embassy in your march, please strongly consider taking the following action – if we all do this, we will expose to the world the agency in China responsible for continuing the ivory trade. In China, a government body called the SFA (State Forestry Administration) is the department responsible for issuing licenses to ivory-carving factories (as well as bear-bile farms, selling tiger parts, and other operations that involve the horrific suffering and depletion of wildlife).This is what you can do to expose this agency: Download their logo (from the SFA website, forestry.gov.cn/) – make sure it’s the green, orange and blue ribbon-type logo with two green fir trees inside - not the red seal with the five yellow stars. Blow it up into a big poster (with the Chinese flag in the background) – make it a striking and eye-catching image – and include the message that the SFA is driving elephants and rhinos to extinction (the message that we’ve all formerly been aiming at China as a whole). Face it outwards to the street to insure the media get pictures of it. This will not only expose the SFA as the body responsible for the slaughter and perpetuating the ivory trade (as well as the other horrific practices), but also (and just as important), the Chinese people will see this too. Word will get out, media and social media will latch on to it, and the SFA will no longer be able to hide behind its anonymity. (The London march will be designing such a poster, and we will share it so other city marches can use it. march4elephantsandrhinos.org/
Posted on: Thu, 08 May 2014 20:23:54 +0000
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